1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to LED indicating light apparatus, and more particularly relates to LED lenses and associated apparatus for mounting the lenses on a housing structure such as a computer housing.
2. Description of Related Art
Housing portions of computers are typically provided with one or more indicating lights to provide the computer operator with a visual indication that certain computer operating components, such as hard disk drives, are running. A common indicating light construction for this application comprises a lens structure supported within the housing and projecting outwardly through an opening therein, and an LED (light emitting diode) device supported behind the lens and operative to periodically illuminate it.
Various methods have previously been proposed for operatively mounting the lens at the housing lens opening. For example, one conventional lens mounting method is performed by forming a recess in the inner side surface of the housing surrounding a lens opening therein. The lens to be mounted has a central portion configured to extend outwardly through the housing opening and an enlarged peripheral shoulder portion sized to fit within the housing surface recess. To install the lens, its central portion is extended outwardly through the housing opening, and its shoulder portion is glued or sonically welded within the housing recess.
While this lens mounting technique appears to be a rather simple and straightforward one, it presents several well known problems, limitations and disadvantages. For example, the gluing or sonic welding process needed to carry out the lens mounting tends to be a tedious and rather time-consuming task.
Moreover, the required shoulder structure surrounding the central lens portion as a practical matter precludes the close grouping of a series of indicating lights on the housing, each central lens portion in a multiple lens array being spaced apart from an adjacent central portion of each other lens by a minimum distance equal to twice the width of their mounting shoulders. Another general limitation associated with this conventional lens mounting technique is that when multiple lenses are to be mounted in even a relatively closely grouped array, some type of light shield structure must be provided to prevent the LED associated with one lens from illuminating one or more of the other lenses.
Another prior art technique for mounting LED indicating light lenses on computer housings over lens openings therein is to mold a pair of clip structures on opposite sides of each lens opening, the clip structures projecting into the housing from the inside surface thereof and being configured to snap outwardly over the light-receiving end of the lens. This method provides for a quicker and easier mounting of the lens, but still tends to preclude the mounting of a series of lenses in a tightly spaced array. Additionally, since the outer ends of each clip pair extend across portions of the light-receiving end of their associated lens, a pair of dark spots are undesirably present on the illuminated lens, such dark spots being caused by the outer end portions of the clip members blocking a portion of the LED light being beamed on to the inlet end of the lens.
It can be readily seen from the foregoing that a need exists for improved LED lens/mounting structure apparatus that eliminates or at least substantially reduces the above-mentioned problems, limitations and disadvantages commonly associated with conventional LED lenses and their associated housing mounting structures. It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide such improved apparatus.